[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] branded:
QuantumState:

This is an ongoing argument.

I am 27 years old, so it wasn't about until I was 19 that the Internet was in everyones' home. Interestingly enough, I feel that people around my age have the advantage of remembering when there was a time when privacy existed; yet we were still young enough to very easily integrate the technological changes that have occurred, that influence society, in to our lives. However, and I hate to say this, and I also hate explaining it, with the necessary hopelessly to my 62 year old father that is concerned that all of his mailing addresses get returned in a quick google search...

Privacy no longer exists.

There is no way to argue with this fact. And for those who subscribe that Bush era politics and the U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act were the heaviest handed move, I argue that CALEA (established in 1994) has much more of a heavy influence. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Assistance_for_Law_Enforcement_Act

QuantumState, CALEA makes it a fine-able, if not illegal, for any "information service provider" (telecom and ISP), to not have HARDWARE and/or SOFTWARE (facilities) in place that will allow collection of data via a "wiretap" (read: data-tap, application level) to be put in place within five business days. This has been implemented (I believe it was in 2004).

Therefore, any data that goes anywhere can be easily collected. If you are interested in further understanding this, see companies and products that In-Q-Tel (the venture capital arm of the CIA) invests in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-Q-Tel. I have used the free product NetWitness Investigator which will give you a pretty good idea.

Here lay the argument:

Who's targeted? Do you hold the belief that the procedures for law enforcement to procure a warrant are not followed as stated? That FISA warrants will target domestic citizens?

Do you hold the belief that information you share with utilized services, such as Google.com's search engine (information being your search terms), has the possibility of malevolent use?

The former is the nature of living in a society.

The latter is the nature of, well, using a service.

I suggest the following:

1) Watch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Live_In_Public

2) Look into services like Tor and an SSL/VPN service.

3) Control/seed the information you wish to share with the world. Along these lines, creating transparency into who you are on the inside and on the outside is a philosophical change I suggest you make. Your projection of your persona into the world should reflect not only your core beliefs, but also not disagree with your inner being (reduce your ego).

4) Accept the fact that if you're going to utilize a communication medium that allows communication between you and many parties, that these many parties are partied to your communication.

5) Don't become a "target of surveillance." You know how marketing and spyware companies target you with ads, well the same pattern-application practices are applied against data collection to identify individuals who pose issues (sort of like minority report). My opinion is that, with a layer of human judgement applied to outcome of processed data, this method is extremely effective in actually pin-pointing the expected behavior of individuals and groups.

Again, you must learn to emotionally and mentally accept the fact that privacy no longer exists. I have reached this point and I realize that, in order to progress society forward, data collection is not only necessary, but a great tool. My opinion is not a product of group think, but of critical philosophical conviction.

Personally, I'm a capitalist who is a firm supporter of globalization.

I've had conversations with neo-facists, neo-nazis, pro-zionists, anti-zionists, anarchists, republicans, democrats, capitalists, and hedonists about society, and I believe most of their thoughts create a society of polarization and separation; which I believe is unhealthy to the progression of knowledge.

And before you lose all hope for humanity, watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7AWnfFRc7g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC7ANGMy0yo

We can control this fire hose.

Thanks and good luck,

Matt Brown

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mattbrownnyc/

[P.S.]

Just saw this mildly hilarious article that's a testimony: http://gizmodo.com/5637848/adolescence-in-the-age-of-pay+per+minute-porn